


Anywhere

by SophiaRemembers



Series: The Songs of Nations [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Crushes, Cute, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Independence, War, hinted at relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-02-17 06:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2300297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaRemembers/pseuds/SophiaRemembers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Iceland first sees Liechtenstein sitting next to her brother at the World Meeting, he instantly wants to get to know her better. Despite Switzerland's intimidating nature, Iceland is determined to make his feelings known and receive Liechtenstein's in return as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dear, my love, haven't you wanted to be with me?

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story is based off the song Anywhere by Evanescence. Each chapter is a line from the song, in order, with the chorus only being used once. Thank you to my Friend who betas this for me. The song is not my own, neither is Hetalia.

Anywhere

Song by Evanescence

Iceland/Liechtenstein

 

 

 

Chapter One

Dear, my love, haven’t you wanted to be with me?

 

Iceland didn’t usually come to these meetings. They were loud, obnoxious, and nothing ever seemed to get done. Only five minutes in and England and France were bickering over food, Italy was begging for pasta and America was taking lead and declaring himself the hero. And that wasn’t even mentioning the other countries, it was a mystery why they even called these meetings anymore. Even more so, why Norway had dragged him here. It’s not like any decisions that were made ( when decisions were made at least) particularly affected him. If they did, at least, he was sure his brother would tell him.

He leaned back in his chair, scanning the table before they paused on a young girl sitting up straight in her chair. She hand her hands folded neatly in her lap, and while she had a rather dutiful posture, her expression was that of hidden boredom mixed with innocent interest. Iceland quickly found himself intrigued, sitting up a little straighter as he looked to her right to find a boy in a green uniform, looking rather displeased with the situation. Iceland recognized him immediately as Switzerland, the country famous for its harsh neutrality. He glanced back over to the younger girl sitting beside him and quickly concluded that she must be Liechtenstein, the tiny country Switzerland took in as his younger sister some years back. He had heard of Liechtenstein before, but this was his first time seeing her.

Iceland wasn’t afraid to admit that she was beautiful, at least to himself, he spent the rest of the meeting wondering if he should talk to her and by the time it was over, he found himself unable and she disappeared quickly behind her brother.

That was the first time.

Iceland attended every meeting he could after that, each time trying to get up the courage to say hello. But whenever he did, Liechtenstein would leave before he had the chance to even get her attention.

Months rolled by and Iceland found himself wondering what her voice sounded like. She never spoke up in meetings, it was always her brother who did all the talking. Occasionally she would tug on his sleeve and whisper something in his ear, but it was never loud enough for anyone to hear.

Finally, at a particularly boring meeting, the chance finally arose.

After a quick question into her brother’s ear and a nod in response, Liechtenstein quietly rose from the table and excused herself.

Iceland had started to zone out, when the closing of the meeting room door directed his attention to Liechtenstein’s empty seat. He gazed around the table and confirmed that she had indeed left the room. Quickly seizing his chance, he muttered a quick, “bathroom,” to his brother and pushed away from the table, excusing himself as well.

Norway gave a nod to show that he had heard, but took note of his brother’s slightly odd behavior.

Iceland closed the door with a quiet click, feeling an immediate sense of relief. He has spent so much time in isolation, or just with the other Nordics, the large crowd that could be found at the World meetings made him uncomfortable. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, but he much preferred when there weren’t as many people.

Stepping away for the door, the Nord glanced down the hall, spotting Liechtenstein in her familiar pink dress, heading in the direction of the bathrooms.

Taking a deep breath, Iceland raised a hand, ready to call out to her, but then paused and thought better of it. He lowered his hand and with quick, nervous steps, swiftly caught up with the young girl.

When he was close enough, he reached out and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

“Um, excuse me.”

Liechtenstein stared slightly, giving a small gasp as she turned around, making Iceland feel a little guilty for startling her.

“Oh, hello,” she said, giving a comforting smile once she got over the initial startle. “Can I help you with something sir?” she asked.

Iceland paused a moment, realizing that he suddenly had no clue what he was going to say. Her voice was more childlike than he had imagined, but it still held that slight Swiss accent that he had come to expect.

“Oh, no,” he finally said after a slightly awkward moment of silence as his courage slowly returned. “You’re Liechtenstein, right?”

She smiled. “Yes, I am, and you are…” Her mouth turned down at the corners as she failed to recognize the country standing before her.

“Iceland,” he provided gently, giving her a comforting smile in return.

“My apologies, Mr. Iceland,” she said with a small bow. “I did not recognize you.”

He shook his head. “You’re alright, though I did actually want to ask you a question, now that I remember.”

Liechtenstein tilted her head curiously. “What is it, Mr. Iceland?” she asked.

“I was wondering if you would like to go out to eat with me after the meeting.” Iceland was secretly proud at how casually he managed to ask the favor of her.

The girl seemed shocked but this proposition, feeling a little flustered as she took a moment to answer.

“Big Brother always takes me out for ice cream after the meetings, would you like to join us?” she asked, rephrasing the question.

Iceland frowned, this was not the answer he had been hoping for, and if he was being honest, Switzerland tended to intimidate him. After another long moment of thought, he nodded.

“I would like that,” he said, figuring this was probably his best chance to get to know the small nation and that if he wanted to do so, he was going to have to brave her older brother. If he wasn’t willing to do that much, then it was pointless to pursue her.

Leichtenstein smiled. “I will talk to my brother, but I’m sure he’ll be okay with it,” she said. “Now  I   must go Mr. Iceland, I look forward to speaking to you again.” She gave a small bow and Iceland gave his own farewell as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Turning around, Iceland returned to the meeting, something inside him feeling a little lighter.

He took his seat next to Norway, who casted him a suspicious glance.  He watched the door and when Liechtenstein returned to her own seat a few minutes later, he managed to catch her eye and send her a small wave.

She smiled at him and waved back before focusing back to where her brother’s attention had been directed.

“Is there something I should know little brother?” Norway asked quietly in his ear, a smirk playing at his lips.

Iceland swatted him away with mild annoyance. “Shut up and mind your own business,” he snapped lightly.

Norway decided to back off for the moment, but Iceland couldn’t help the small smile that secretly made its way onto Iceland’s face.

~~~

The meeting lasted much longer than Iceland would have liked. Granted, he always thought they went on much too long, but this time it was for a different reason. He spent the rest of the meeting trying not to watch Liechtenstein across the table. He had caught Switzerland’s suspicious glances one or two times and the last thing Iceland wanted to do was to set a bad impression right off the bat.

When the meeting was finally adjourned, Iceland was one of the first to leave the table.

Finland called after him, asking where he was going.

“I’m just going to be home a little later, you guys go on without me,” he called back in explanation before he pushed past the doors and into the hall.

Switzerland and Liechtenstein were waiting for him by the front door and the young girl sent Iceland a wave to let him know that they were waiting.

The young Nordic country walked over to meet them.

“Hello, Liechtenstein, Switzerland,” he greeted.

“Hello Mr. Iceland,” she said.

Switzerland gave him a disapproving stare. “Hello, Iceland,” he glanced between his sister and the boy.

“Shall we go then?” Liechtenstein asked casually, completely unaware of the tension that was starting to build between the two men.

Switzerland directed his attention back to his sister and gave a small nod. “Where would you like to go today? We passed a few shops on the way here.”

She thought for a moment, her eyes drifting up to the ceiling. “The one with the flowers on the windows, it looked so cute and cozy. I would love it if Big Brother could take me there.”

He sighed. He had hoped she wouldn’t pick that one, knowing it to be one of the more expensive, but for Liechtenstein he was willing to splurge, just a little. He had promised her after all.

“You’re paying for yourself,” he said to Iceland, and the younger boy nodded, he had expected as much.

Switzerland took Liechtenstein’s hand and left out the front doors, clearly expecting Iceland to follow.

Iceland relaxed slightly once Switzerland’s eyes were off of him. He took his usual casual stance. He couldn’t let Liechtenstein’s older brother get to him. What did he care about him anyways? All he cared was doing his best to get Liechtenstein to like him. He knew that Liechtenstein was very close to her older brother, but Iceland couldn’t worry about that right now. He had to take thing one step at a time, and Switzerland was a couple steps down the road still.

It took them several minutes to reach the shop that Liechtenstein had chosen and by then, Iceland’s confidence was back to its normal level.

There wasn’t a line, so they managed to all get their ice cream in a matter of minutes and went outside to sit at one of the decorative, iron work tables under the awning.

“Brother knows the meetings are really boring for me, so even though he likes to save money, he takes me out to ice cream to make up for it. As long as I pay attention and try to learn from them,” Liechtenstein explained as she licked at her cone of strawberry ice cream. “I find all of the countries very interesting and I really like spending time with my big brother, so I don’t mind. Though the meetings do make me a little confused, but Big Brother always draws me pictures afterwards to explain what happened and it helps a lot. Big Brother draws really cute pictures and I like them a lot.”

Iceland listened with interest. Liechtenstein had a very innocent way of speaking, going on much as a child would about someone they admired. Still, she had a sort of regal maturity in what she said and meant that seemed to contrast her innocent air. A lot of her thoughts seemed to revolve around Switzerland, whom she always referred to as ‘Big Brother’. It was clear that she admired and looked up to him far more than Iceland initially realized.

He frowned and licked lightly at his own ice cream cone. Perhaps impressing Switzerland was closer to the first step than he thought.

“Ah, your ice cream is dripping,” he said suddenly, bringing Liechtenstein out of her day dream and her attention down to the ice cream that was rolling down her fingers.

Switzerland sighed. “You’re so spacey,” he muttered, grabbing a napkin and cleaning off her fingers, having finished his own cone several minutes earlier.

“I’m sorry Big Brother,” she said as she used her free hand to hold the cone and started licking the ice cream again.

“It’s fine,” Switzerland said, tossing the sticky napkin into the trash and leaning back in his chair. “Just pay better attention.”

Iceland watched with a mix of amusement and awe. He knew that the rather stingy Swiss was close to Liechtenstein and very protective of her, but he didn’t realize he could be so… sweet. It didn’t take much for Iceland to realize that this side only came out with the young girl and he shouldn’t be expecting it too often.

“Do you have any pets Mr. Iceland?” Liechtenstein asked, bringing Iceland’s attention back to the current situation.

“Oh, Yes, I have a puffin. He’s rather annoying though,” Iceland explained.

“What’s his name?” she asked eagerly.

“Mr. Puffin,” he said, suddenly a little embarrassed by the childish name.

“That’s cute,” she said approvingly. “Mr. Puffin is easy to remember and makes him sound like a very proud bird.”

He was starting to like her more and more.

“Well proud is one term for it,” he muttered. “Do you have any pets Liechtenstein?”

She shook her head. “No, but animals like to come and visit sometimes, but none of them live at my house. Big Brother says that we don’t need to take in animals that are already happy where they are.”

He smiled and nodded. “What are your hobbies?” he asked, finishing his ice cream cone.

“I really like sewing,” she answered as she finished off her own.

Iceland opened his mouth to say more, but Switzerland stood, cutting him off.

“We better get home,” he said.

Liechtenstein nodded. “Alright Big Brother,” she said as she stood. Iceland quickly followed suit. This outing had been much too short for his liking and he felt he had barely gotten to know the girl any better than before.

“You should head home, Iceland, the other Nordics will be waiting for you,” Switzerland said.

He simply nodded in response as the Swiss turned and started to walk away. Liechtenstein paused before following, turning to Iceland.

“Thank you for coming with us today, it was very nice talking with you. I hope to see you again, Mr. Iceland.”

“It was my pleasure,” Iceland answered. “And just Iceland is fine, though, I was wondering if you would be willing to do this again sometime, just the two of us,” he said, glancing at Switzerland who had stopped to wait for his sister a few feet off, watching the two warily.

Liechtenstein glanced over her shoulder in the same direction, before giving Iceland an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Iceland, but I will have to decline your offer. I hope you understand.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said, a little crestfallen.

He pretended like he didn’t see the flicker of a smirk twitch at Switzerland’s lips.

The truth was, he really didn’t understand. He was so sure she would accept and now as she said good bye and he did the same in return, he watched her walk away, hand in hand with her big brother and he knew that he was back to where he started, watching from afar, with nothing more than the faint hope that he would get to know her better.


	2. And Dear, my love, haven't you longed to be free?

Chapter Two  
And dear, my love, haven’t you longed to be free?

When Iceland got home a few hours later, he was surprised to find Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark all taking up space in his living room, waiting for him, if hazard a guess.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked the group, slipping off his shoes and placing them next to the couch.  
“We want to know what happened!” said Finland.  
Iceland frowned and gave them all wary glances. “With what? You were all at the world meeting.”  
“You know that’s not what we’re talking about,” said Denmark with a grin, stepping over to Iceland and clapping a hand on his shoulder.  
“I would prefer it if you would just leave,” he said, pushing Denmark’s hand from his shoulder and turning to go to the kitchen.  
Norway moved in front of him, stopping his path through the doorway.  
“We’re not leaving until you give us answers,” he said, his tone serious, but nonthreatening, his face surprisingly expressionless.  
Iceland sighed. “Is this really necessary? It was just ice cream,” he said, turning to look at the rest of the group.  
“You went out for ice cream?” said Finland excitedly from where he sat on the couch next to Sweden.  
“Yes, we did,” Iceland said calmly, though there was a hint of annoyance. Really, was it so important that he went to ice cream with Switzerland and Liechtenstein that it would prompt this… onslaught?  
They all looked at him expectantly and he sighed, what more did they expect of him? It’s not like anything much had happened.  
“So, how did it go?” Denmark asked.  
Iceland cast him a glance.  
“Come on little brother. We’ve watched you stare at her for months, tell us how it went,” said Norway from behind Iceland.  
Iceland was silent for a long moment as they waited. Finally he sighed.  
“I asked her out to eat after the meeting, she asked if I wanted to go out to ice cream with her and her brother instead and I accepted. We went out, we had ice cream, we chatted, it was all very nice, the end,” he said, turning promptly around and nudging his way around Norway and into the kitchen.  
“Will you see her again?” Iceland recognized Sweden’s deep voice as it drifted in from the living room.  
Iceland was silent for a moment as he opened the cupboard and pulled down his stash of licorice. Really, what was with all of these questions? But he found himself unable to be annoyed as it was a rather decent question. As he put the lid back on the container and lifted it back into the cupboard. Was he going to see her again?  
He could feel the others watching him through the doorway, waiting, expecting an answer.  
“I asked her out again and she refused,” he answered.  
“That didn’t answer the question,” Norway prodded.  
Iceland cast him an annoyed glance, was nothing good enough for these guys?  
He took a bite of licorice and chewed slowly, mulling over the answer. He had been rejected, yes, but he wasn’t going to be heartbroken or defeated because of it. Perhaps he had moved too fast, even if it couldn’t be love, he had at least decided that he enjoyed spending time with the young woman.  
After swallowing he looked up and met the eyes of the rest of the Nords.  
“Yes,” he answered.  
~~~  
The knock at the door that disrupted the Swiss from his tea came as a shock. But what came as more of a shock was the Icelandic boy that stood waiting patiently on his doorstep when he finally opened the door.  
“Hello, Switzerland,” Iceland greeted casually with a small nod.  
Switzerland frowned, he could tell immediately that this was not the same boy he had taken out to ice cream several weeks ago. That boy had been nervous, and childlike, eager to impress and careful not to anger or annoy. But now, here he was, the Iceland that Switzerland was more accustomed to seeing at meetings from time to time. Cool and collected, with a far of maturity that contrasted his young looks.  
“Hello, Iceland,” Switzerland greeted, a touch bitterly. How rude to show up here unannounced, acting like the Swiss was completely oblivious as to why he was there at all.  
“May I come in?” Iceland asked, any fear he had of Switzerland before was either gone or now well hidden.  
“Hold on a moment please,” said Switzerland, he glanced back in the direction of the sitting room where Liechtenstein was sitting happily, casually working on her sewing before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.  
Iceland was forced to take a step back, but refused to take any more. “I simply wanted to say hello,” he said, mildly annoyed by Switzerland’s behavior.  
“And hello would be fine if that was all it meant,” Switzerland countered.  
Iceland frowned, he had come over to Switzerland’s house in hopes of simply talking with Liechtenstein, but that was appearing to be harder than he thought.  
“I just want to talk with her,” he said, his annoyance growing. When it didn’t seem like Switzerland was going to budge, he continued. “I have no ill intentions towards her, I just want to get to know her better. I want her to know me. If it doesn’t go anywhere, then fine, we can be friends, but I’m not really going to wait for your approval. It’s hers that I’m after, not yours.”  
Iceland worried for a moment that he had gone too far before Switzerland gave a small, annoyed exhale and stepped aside.  
“She’s in the sitting room. Down the hall, second room on your right,” he said. He watched the Nord give a small nod, relaxing slightly as he entered the house. Switzerland followed after him. He had to admit, he was impressed, the boy had spoken firmly and stated his intentions directly, as much as those intentions and that firm attitude bothered Switzerland.  
Liechtenstein looked up from her sewing as she heard somebody enter the room. She expected to see her brother, but was mildly surprised to see Iceland instead.  
“Oh, hello Mr. Iceland,” she said with a smile, setting down her project into her lap.  
“Hello, Liechtenstein,” he said, “And as I said before, just Iceland is fine.”  
She continued to smile and nodded. “Can I get you something? Tea, perhaps?” she asked. She set her sewing down in front of her, making to stand.  
Iceland stepped forward and shook his head. “No, that will not be necessary,” he said as Switzerland entered the room behind him, sitting back down to his own tea.  
“Why don’t you have a seat, Iceland, there is no need to stand,” Switzerland said, not looking at Iceland. His voice was polite and courteous, but lacked the friendliness that was usually expected when entertaining guests.  
“Thank you,” Iceland said, moving to sit in an empty arm chair across from Liechtenstein. He didn’t dare sit next to her on the couch.  
Switzerland eyed him, relaxing slightly when he didn’t sit next to Liechtenstein as he had expected.  
“So what brings you here today, m-” she hesitated, cutting herself off. “Iceland?” she finally finished.  
Iceland gave her a tiny, but what he hoped was a comforting smile, doing his best to ignore the pointed look that Switzerland was giving him, a look that clearly read ‘answer carefully.’ Managing to maintain his usual calm demeanor, Iceland answered with a small shrug.   
“I know you said that you didn’t really want to go out, so I thought that maybe I would come and see you instead. I’m sorry that I didn’t let you know in advance.”  
He glanced at Switzerland from the corner of his eye, seeing the man tense but remain shockingly indifferent.  
“Oh no, it’s not a problem. Company is always, nice, isn’t it Big Brother?” Liechtenstein looked to her brother with a gentle smile.   
He simply grunted in response, taking another sip of tea as his sister remained unphased by the rather rude response.  
Liechtenstein turned back to Iceland. “What is your home like, Iceland?” she asked.   
Iceland perked up slightly at the question. “It is very beautiful. We have volcanoes and hot springs that are wonderful for relaxing in, especially during the winter,” he answered, pleased with the way her face lit up.  
“Hot springs sound very nice!” she said. “I would like to visit one sometime.”  
“We have hot springs here,” Switzerland muttered.  
“The Blue Lagoon,” Iceland continued, sitting forward in his seat. “Has water the color of the sky on a bright day and it’s one of the most popular attractions.”  
“That sounds beautiful!”   
“You can even see the Northern Lights in the winter and when you have an eruption at the same time, it’s spectacular.”  
There was a hint of worry at the mention of erupting volcanoes, but it was quickly replaced with a sense of awe as Liechtenstein drifted into daydreams.  
Iceland could tell that Switzerland was annoyed, but completely ignored it as he told about the beauty of the mountains, or the way the Northern Lights would light up the whole sky in multi colored glows. He described the refreshing mists from the Waterfall of the Gods, the lava fields covered in soft green moss, the Westfjords that made home to gallant cliffs and families of puffins. She sat raptured, lost in her own imagination as Iceland told his stories, prompting him again and again with questions and comments.   
“My capital is also home to the Althing, the oldest Parliamentary Institution in the world still in existence.”  
At this, Switzerland interrupted by standing from his seat as he excused himself to get more tea.  
Iceland glanced at the clock that sat on the hearth and was surprised to find that a little more than an hour had passed. Liechtenstein looked down at her lap and realized that she had been distracted from her project. Calmly picking it up, she once again began to thread the needle and thread through the fabric.  
“What are you working on Liechtenstein?” Iceland asked as he watched her.  
She glanced up from her sewing. “Big Brother tore a hole in his shirt so I am fixing it for him,” she explained before looking back down to where her needle was going.  
Iceland glanced over at Switzerland who had returned with his tea and was now rather focused on it. The Swiss nation seemed unbothered, if not a touch annoyed.  
“I am perfectly capable of doing it myself, but she always insists,” he said, annoyed that he was explaining himself to the boy.  
Iceland just simply nodded, as calm as ever. He watched Liechtenstein’s hands move, entranced by how quickly and smoothly they did so. Moments later delicate fingers tied a knot in the thread and cutting it loose from its tail, she set the string and needle aside and lifted the shirt to inspect her work.  
“There, all done,” she said with a proud grin. “How does it look Big Brother?” she asked, turning the shirt around to show him.  
Switzerland stared at it a moment, leaning over an inspecting the stitches. “It’ll do,” he said.  
Iceland would have thought that this was an insult, or a really weak compliment at best, but when he looked over to Liechtenstein, expecting to see hurt on her features, or at least disappointment, he was shocked to find her beaming as if Switzerland had given her first prize on her work. She gently folded the shirt, still smiling.  
“I’m so happy you like it,” she said.  
“Of course, just set it on the bed in my room,” he said.  
She gave a small nod. “Please excuse me,” she said.  
Once she was gone, Switzerland finished his tea and set it down on the table with a quiet thud.  
“Just say it,” Iceland said, looking to the blonde nation.  
Switzerland gave him a look of mild surprise.  
“I know there are things you are just dying to tell me, so just get it out already,” Iceland stated, his legs crossing at the knee, a sign that he wasn’t about to go anywhere.  
Switzerland sighed. “I was trying to refrain myself, for Liechtenstein’s sake, as well as yours, but if you insist.”  
He turned slightly in his chair, looking directly at Iceland.  
Iceland tensed slightly against his own will, but stayed firm, ready to take whatever it was that Switzerland had to say to him.  
“I do not feel comfortable with your pursuits after Liechtenstein,” he stated directly.  
Iceland shook his head lightly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Well that was obvious,” he muttered, loud enough for Switzerland to hear.  
“You’re the one that demanded that I state it outright. Now before you get all bothered, I should state that I am not pleased with anyone coming after my sister. You’re just the first one stupid enough to try this hard.”  
“Stupid?” Iceland scoffed, offended. “I am not some lecherous old man,” he snapped. “Since you seem so keen on making me out to be.”  
“Exactly,” Switzerland retorted. “You’re just a child. How could you possibly protect her?”  
“I was neutral in the Second World War, just like you,” Iceland growled.  
It was Switzerland’s turn to scoff. “Barely. You let the British invade you and eventually gave over to their demands and soon they were replaced with American troops, no matter what you call it, that’s hardly neutrality.”  
Iceland opened his mouth the make a snide remark in return, but Switzerland continued as if not noticing.  
“You are an island nation. Defense of a land locked nation is much different. There are no drifting mines to protect you here. I brought her in when I had nothing and still made it through just fine for the both of us. She has no military and no way to defend herself, she relies solely on me and I protect her just as well as myself. I have great doubt that you could do the same.”  
Iceland finally stood. “Are you saying that I am incapable of protecting her?” he snapped, his tone stony.  
He glanced over and caught sight of Liechtenstein standing in the doorway and briefly wondered how long she had been standing there, but then focused his attention back on Switzerland, too worked up to care at that point.  
“I am simply saying that you are too young and too isolated to be able to take care of yourself as well as another nation across Europe,” he said calmly, but with a dark tone.  
Iceland let out an angry breath. “I am no child,” he growled, but before Switzerland could have another world he turned and marched from the room.  
As he passed by the confused and slightly frightened Liechtenstein, he slowed down pausing slightly.  
“I’m sorry Liechtenstein, good bye,” he said softly, staring at the floor, not wanting to face her. He then picked up his pace again and disappeared out the front door.  
“Big Brother…” she said softly, turning to face Switzerland.  
“I simply told the boy what had asked to hear. He brought it on himself,” Switzerland stated, finally standing.  
Liechtenstein frowned and gave a worried glance at the door. She grabbed the cup and took it to the kitchen to be washed and for the rest of the night nothing more was said on the matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! Not off to a good start are we? Thank you so much for reading! Comments and Kudos are much appreciated if you can!  
> And thanks again to my special friend for the Iceland info and who helped a lot with the editing!


	3. I Can't Keep Pretending That I Don't Even Know You

Chapter Three

           I can’t keep pretending that I don’t even know you

           

           Something was bothering Liechtenstein. After living with her for so long, it was easy for Switzerland to notice. She was trying to hide it, but the way she seemed more distracted and scatterbrained than usual made it blatantly clear. She didn’t seem to smile quite as much either and Switzerland found himself worrying slightly as well, though it was more for his sister than whatever it was that she had found herself concerned over. He didn’t like it when Liechtenstein got into these moods, it proved to be rather bothersome. He never knew what was going on in that head of hers and sometimes it lead to strange things that he didn’t quite understand. He loved her, he really did, but sometimes he just wished that she would tell him what the issue was so they could solve it and move on.

           For the next several days, Switzerland debated whether he should confront his sister about her distracted thoughts, or just leave it and hoped it passed, as it sometimes did.  He waited for over a week, but when her  ‘symptoms’ didn’t change, he decided enough was enough and finally sat her down across from him for dinner.

           This in itself wasn’t unusual, they almost always ate dinner together, but even Liechtenstein could feel the slight tension in the air as Switzerland readied himself to speak.

           “Liechtenstein,” he said firmly.

           The younger girl looked up from her food, a little surprised by his tone. She knew that tone, it was the one he used with her when he got serious and wanted her to pay attention.

           “Yes Big Brother?” she asked.

           He pursed his lips, taking a drink before setting down his cup, debating what was the best way to approach this.

           “I’ve been wondering what has been bothering you lately?” he asked.

           She looked a little shocked by the question. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to notice.

           “W-why nothing, Big Brother,” she said, her face flushing slightly as she fidgeted with her hands under the table.

           Switzerland sighed. “Please don’t lie to me Liechtenstein,” he warned calmly.

           The small girl frowned. “Well, in truth, I really am worried about Mr. Iceland.”

           He brother frowned. “Why on earth would you be worried about that boy?” he asked, trying to keep annoyance from his tone.

           “Well, since he visited a couple weeks ago, I haven’t heard anything,” she answered.

           Switzerland picked up his drink again, taking a sip. “That’s hardly a reason to be worried Liechtenstein,” he replied. “It’s very likely that he got busy or some such.” He set down his glass once more and picked up his fork to begin eating.

           “But he left here so upset…” she said softly.

           Switzerland paused with his fork pressed into his food. So that’s what this was about. “And you’re afraid that he might still be so,” he finished for her.

           She nodded.

           The room was silent a moment as they both returned to their meal.

           “Alright then,” Switzerland finally said. “You may contact him and make sure that he is still not upset with me.” Honestly, she could have done so without his permission. She was perfectly capable and there was little he could do to stop her. Still, he knew that she always did her best to make him happy and she wouldn’t contact Iceland if she thought it would upset him.

           With that said, Liechtenstein brightened slightly. “I would like to do so after dinner if that’s alright,” she said.

           He nodded, filling his mouth with food. “That’s fine,” he replied once he swallowed. He only hoped that this would clear her worries as well as his own. And a nudging feeling in the back of his mind had him hoping he didn’t regret this either.

~~~

           It had been a few weeks since Iceland had any sort of contact with Liechtenstein. While it wasn’t uncommon for nations to not talk to each other for periods of time, and a few weeks really wasn’t that long, Iceland knew that this silence was more than that.

           “You’re avoiding them,” Norway pointed out at some point, and while the younger nation vocally denied it, annoyed by his older brother’s nosiness, he knew it was true. Well, not completely. He wasn’t avoiding Liechtenstein, honestly, she was the last person he wanted to avoid. No, it was her older brother that bothered him. Iceland wasn’t usually one to be bothered so much by people and/or their opinions, and the fact that Switzerland had worked his way under his skin only irked the island nation more.

           It was still too early to be able to tell what his relationship with Liechtenstein was, or would be, but this was more than that. Weeks of thinking had Iceland realizing that this was more than just where he wanted to take things with the tiny landlocked nation, this was beyond the need for her to be protected.  Switzerland had hit something personal with his words and accusations. Just because he was more isolated than most nations didn’t mean he was weak, and it was far from meaning that he was incapable. As more and more time passed, Iceland was more determined to prove it.

           When the phone rang, it didn’t come as much of a shock to Iceland. Most likely, it was Nor or one of the other Nordics, they could be a little bothersome at times. He let the phone ring for a few moments, hoping they would give up and leave him alone, he wasn’t really in the mood to talk. After a few more rings, he realized that they weren’t really getting the hint and decided that it was probably best to answer it.

           With a sigh, he stood from the couch and pulled the phone from its dock.

           “Hello?” he answered, not bothering to hide the annoyance from his tone.

           “Oh, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, Mr. Iceland,” came a small voice from the speaker.

           Iceland blinked, surprised. “Liechtenstein?” he asked, though it was obvious that that was who it was. He never expected her to call him. “Sorry, how are you? You’re not being a bother,” he said, quickly gathering back his composure.

           “I am well, Mr. Iceland,” she said, sounding a little more relaxed.

           “Just Iceland is fine,” he corrected.

           “Oh, yes, my apologies,” she replied.

           Iceland shook his head, even though he knew that she couldn’t see. “It’s fine. Is there something you needed?”

           “Oh! Yes!” Liechtenstein said, making it clear that she was just now remembering the reason for her call. “I felt really bad for the last time you visited. You left really upset and Switzy said I could call to make sure you were alright. I’m really sorry for the way things ended and that we did anything to upset you.”

           Iceland was silent for a moment. Had that really been bothering her all this time? “I’m fine,” he said with a small smile. “Though I do appreciate the apology.” It was sweet and unexpected, but Iceland couldn’t help but be bothered by the fact that Liechtenstein wasn’t the one who should have been apologizing.

           “I’m relieved,” she said and Iceland could hear the smile in her voice.

           “I’m glad I could relieve some of your worries.” And truly, he was. “But really, you shouldn’t have been so in the first place.”

           She was silent for a moment, but he could hear her fidgeting and Iceland wondered what kind of face she was making.

           “How about I make it up to you?” He asked in a last minute and daring decision.

           “Oh, you don’t have to—“

           “I’ll come over tomorrow night and we can put things back on the right foot again. Things like this are better to do in person after all, right?”

           “Yes, that would be nice. I look forward to seeing you, Iceland. I’ll tell Big Brother you are coming.”

           “Alright, I might be a little late so don’t hold dinner for me or anything.”

           “Alright Iceland, I will see you tomorrow. Have a nice night.”

           “Yeah, you too.” As he hung up the phone, Iceland felt nervous. He only prayed that this was actually a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, first off, apologies, I'm really sorry that this took sooooooooo long to get out, especially when I was doing my best to get them out a month at a time. Unfortunately, this chapter proved to be more of a challenge than I expected, also college kind of got in the way. Hopefully the next chapter will be up faster, kudos and review are always appreciated for those of you who have the time. Thank you! Please look forward to the next chapter and thank you for reading!


	4. And At Sweet Night You Are My Own

Chapter Four

           And At Sweet Night You Are My Own

 

           Iceland wasn’t sure what he was doing here. It had been a stupid idea when he had first thought it up, so why he decided there was a need to follow through on it, nobody could really know. Regardless of the circumstances, there was no changing the fact that the small nation was now standing in the backyard of a certain large mansion he had visited only a couple times before. The night time dew had turned his shoes damp as he walked around the large home. It was late enough that all the lights were off in the home, leaving it, and the outside area surrounding it, dark.

           The longer Iceland stood there, the more he realized how stupid this was. What had he even been thinking? In what book was sneaking into another country in the middle of the night so you could throw rocks or whatever at windows a good idea? There was no reason for him to be avoiding Switzerland, no matter how intimidating he may seem. He didn’t even know which window was Liechtenstein’s! He could easily throw a rock and end up waking her brother and then he would really be in trouble. While he didn’t know what had been going through his mind to land him here, it didn’t change the fact that he did want to see Liechtenstein and talk to her without the pressure of her brother hovering over him. Why he thought this would be a good way to go about that would remain a mystery.

           He sighed and shook his head. There was no point in contemplating things that would never be answered, the point was that he was here now and he had to figure out what to do next. More specifically, which window belonged to Liechtenstein.

           He knew her room was on the second floor, so that was a start. He wasn’t sure which side of the house though and with little to no light to work with, he had to simply pray that he chose the right window.

           Finding a handful of rocks in the garden that bordered the house, he stepped back, shuffling them nervously in his hand. He stared at the rows of windows on the second floor, three on this side. He could just barely make out curtains on one so he decided to go with that.

           He could only trust he was right.

           Pouring the rocks into his left hand, he took one in his right and threw it gently at the window. It didn’t even reach the house.

           Shifting slightly closer, he threw the next rock a little harder. It hit this time, but missed the window, hitting the brick beside it.

           He started growing frustrated as his next three tosses missed as well. Had he always been this bad of a shot? Perhaps he should have brought Finland with him. Granted his expert shot was with a gun, Iceland wasn’t sure what his throwing was like and a gun would have been far too extreme in this situation.

          Blaming his nerves for his poor aim, he threw another rock,  gasping when he heard the tap of its contact with glass. He waited with bated breath, for a sound, a light, anything. There was nothing.

           Letting his breath out slowly, he cautiously threw another. Again it hit. Again there was nothing.

           Five rocks later, with only three of them hitting, a light flickered on. It was dim, leading Iceland to believe that it was a nightlight or bedside lamp that had been turned on. Suddenly he realized that if he had gotten the wrong window and ended up waking Switzerland, the last thing he wanted was to be standing in the middle of the man’s back hard looking as guilty as a child with their hand in the cookie jar. Backing away from the house, he stood under the shade of a nearby tree, hoping it was too dark for him to be seen.

           When there was no movement from the room, he decided to try another pebble. Throwing it a little harder than before, he was almost elated when it hit the glass pane.

           There were several moments where nothing happened. No breath, no air, no noise, no movement.

           And finally, finally, a figure appeared at the window. There was a gentle sliding sound as it opened and Liechtenstein’s sweet gentle voice called out into the darkness, whispered, but easily heard in the silence of the night.

           “Hello? Is someone there?”

           Relief flooded over Iceland as he stepped away from the tree. “It’s only me Liechtenstein,” he called back quietly.

           There was a gasp as she turned to face him, her figure silhouetted by the lamp’s light. “Mr. Iceland. What are you doing here? Is something wrong? Let me go get Big Brother.”

           “No!” Iceland called quickly, stepping forward as if that would stop her. “Please, I just want to talk to you, nothing is wrong, I promise,” he said.

           Even in the darkness, Iceland could sense her uncertainty.

           “Do you mind if I come in?” he asked.

           She hesitated but then soon nodded and disappeared into the room once more, closing the window behind her.

           He walked around to the front of the house where Liechtenstein opened the door moments later. She had turned on the foyer light, but as Iceland stepped inside, allowing her to close the door behind him, he could tell that she had left the rest of the house dark.

           She wore a pale pink night gown and Iceland blushed slightly as he realized this, there was just something embarrassing about seeing her in her pajamas, even if they were in no way revealing. It was strangely intimate and something he was in no way prepared for. Her hair was a little mussed and she looked tired. He instantly regretted waking her, but part of him found that she was incredibly cute and endearing in such a state. He wanted to tuck her back into bed and stroke her hair until she fell back asleep in his arms. It was a silly urge and easy to resist, but it was there all the same.

           “What are you doing here, Mr. Iceland?” she asked, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.

           That was a question he wasn’t sure how to answer, so after a few moments he went with the truth, as silly as it seemed. “I wanted to see you,” he said.

           She blinked slightly. “You could have come tomorrow.” It wasn’t condescending or angry, it was simply an observation.

           “Yes well…” he sighed. “I wanted to talk to you without your brother for a little bit,” he said finally, hoping the comment wouldn’t offend her.

           She tilted her head in confusion. “Why?” she asked.

           For someone so strangely innocent she could be frustrating.

           “Because… Well, I don’t think he really approves of me and I would like to get to know you without him breathing down my neck.”

           He was being strangely honest tonight.

           She was silent for a long moment and Iceland was worried that he might have upset her.

           “I understand,” she said finally. “Switzy can be intimidating at times. It would be nice to talk to you when you are more relaxed Mr. Iceland,” she said with a light smile.

           With these words, Iceland relaxed considerably. He hadn’t even realized how tense he really was. It wasn’t like him to care so much, usually, he was fairly blasé about most things. Liechtenstein was clearly having a bigger effect on him than even he expected.

           “Why don’t we go up to your room?” he asked, his voice came out a little more nervous than he wanted. “There’s no use in standing around here, and we don’t want to risk waking Switzerland.”

           Liechtenstein nodded. “You must be quiet though, Big Brother is a very light sleeper,” she said, leading the way carefully out of the foyer and back up the stairs.

           With the door closed safely behind them, Iceland was allowed to look around the spacious room that Liechtenstein called her own. It was simple, a couple shelves, a desk, a large bed with a large chest at the foot of it and a night stand, a pair of doors he assumed opened to a closet he could imagine being filled with simple yet elegant dresses, and another door across from the bed that he figured led to the bathroom. All in all, the whole place was neat and surprisingly plain, though obviously a girl’s room.

           Liechtenstein took a seat on the edge of her unmade bed and Iceland took the seat at the desk. He noticed that she looked a little shocked, did she expect him to sit with her? He wasn’t sure if that was something he could handle or would be advisable right now.

           “How was your day?” he asked, starting the conversation quickly.

           “It was very nice,” she answered. “Big Brother and I went on a picnic since it was such a nice day and then we had lessons and I did some sewing.”

           Iceland nodded. “That sounds pleasant.”

           “How was your day?” she asked.

           “Nothing special,” he answered. “Norway was being a bother as always, I spent some time by the ocean for a bit, hanging out with Mr. Puffin.” He wasn’t about to admit that that was what took up the majority of his day. Sometimes he needed a break from the rest of the Nordics who seemed to be showing up at his house more often now with no explanation.

           “That sounds wonderful, I bet the ocean is beautiful from your house.”

           He shrugged. “It’s the same as the ocean anywhere else.”

           “I’ve only seen it a couple times when I joined Big Brother for meetings at places like Mr. Italy’s house,” she said.

           Sometimes, as an island nation, he forgot that Liechtenstein was landlocked, even if that was one of the main reasons Switzerland was not happy about his interest in the girl.

           “When you come to visit you’ll see it,” he said, wishing he could use sometime more poetic. Still, these words seem to light up her eyes. It was fascinating how easily she could see everything in beauty and wonder.

           The next hour or so was filled with whispered conversation, talking about nothing at all, simple and casual, as if it wasn’t the middle of the night and Iceland hadn’t snuck in without Switzerland’s knowing.

           Iceland felt like such a child. All they needed was a flashlight and to hide under the covers while their parents believed them to be asleep.

           Liechtenstein’s occasional giggle didn’t help with this and Iceland soon realized that he didn’t mind.

           At some point, Iceland hand moved to sit with her on the edge of the bed, sitting a little closer to her than was probably necessary.

           “What’s your favorite memory?” he asked.

           She tilted her head at the strange question but then looked up at the ceiling in thought. “Probably when Big Brother found me. I was all alone and just as small. I was suffering from poverty at the time and just when I was sure I wasn’t going to make it anymore, Switzy found me during a rainstorm, soaking and tattered in an alleyway. I was so lost and afraid and it came up to me and asked if I was alright. He even asked if I realized if it was raining.” She chuckled, the question seemed so silly now that she thought about it. “Then he took me to his home and fed me and adopted me as his little sister. It wasn’t until later that I found out that he didn’t even have food for himself at the time.”

           Iceland listened closely, a little shocked. He realized he knew very little about Liechtenstein’s history and how she came to live with Switzerland. It was sad and heartwarming at the same time. Who knew Switzerland could be that type of person to go out of his way like to help a dying country when he could barely take care of himself.

Iceland thought about his own answer even though she didn’t ask, he knew she wanted to hear it. He was tempted to say meeting her for the first time, their first ‘date’ when Switzerland took them out for ice cream, but he quickly realized that that wasn’t true, as much as he wanted it to be, that wasn’t his favorite memory.

           “My favorite memory… well I don’t really remember it much, but I was very young, it was the dead of winter and the snow was deep so it was hard for me to walk. I remember that it was very cold and that I loved to watch my breath make clouds in the air.  Denmark was there, and so was Norway. It was a clear night and we had walked out to a clearing when Denmark lifted me up onto his shoulders to watch the Northern Lights. I know I had seen them before hand, but this is my first memory of them. I forgot all about making clouds and shapes with my breath and watched the greens and blues dance across the sky. I reached up, higher and higher, trying to catch the light in my hand, to bring it home with me and keep it forever. Nobody said anything, we just watched the movement of the lights as if it was a show just for us. It was peaceful and as I grew older, they became my lights, the lights that shone over the snow of my land. It was such a simple yet powerful feeling to grow up and never have them change, to know that they stayed with me since that night. It’s nice to remember such a gentle moment with Denmark and Norge, back when there was so much fighting going on. You can’t tell them, but I like to go out to that spot every year in the winter, when the skies are clear and watch them.”

           She sat in raptured silence and after she gave him a moment to add anything more if he wanted to she finally whispered. “That was beautiful.”

           “You’re beautiful,” he said in response. He internally screamed at himself for such a terrible reply, but laid off a bit when he noticed her blush and smile.

          `“That is very nice of you to say Iceland,” she said softly, finding an interest in her bed sheets to avoid looking at him.            

           Finally, she looked up, her cheeks still brushed with pink.

           “Liechtenstein, may we try something?” Iceland asked, nerves quickly building as the idea that had been stirring around in his head, finally started to take flight.

           “Sure….” Liechtenstein answered slowly.

           He lifted a hand to her and moved a little closer until their legs were touching.

           She took it, tilting her head curious as to what he wanted to do. Her innocence made him all the more flustered.

           “Before we… do anything I want you to know that you can stop or pull away whenever you want.”

           She nodded.

           Letting out a slow breath he raised his other hand to her cheek and swallowing he leaned in. He saw the realization dawn on her just as he closed his eyes.

           The moment their lips met was nothing fantastic. There was no heat, no fireworks, no passion or need. It was nothing like you saw in the movies. Neither of them parted their lips, and neither of them dared to move until they pulled away again.

           Still, both their faces were flushed, their breath a touch faster than normal. It wasn’t tense even if it had been a little bit awkward. Iceland swallowed again as he pulled his hands away.  There was an odd silence as neither of them really knew what to say. Was that good? They both knew that it wasn’t anything particularly special. Really, Iceland welcomed the silence, it allowed him to get his thoughts in order, and anything was better than Liechtenstein shunning and pushing him away. He had to take this silence as a good sign.

           Finally he stood.  “I should go before your brother wakes up,” he said, still a little flustered.

           The broken silence seemed to relax Liechtenstein from whatever trance she had fallen into and she nodded. “Of course,” she said, and Iceland could have sworn there was a hint of disappointment there.

           “Promise me something Liechtenstein,” he said as they stopped at her door.

           “What is it?” she asked.

           “Promise that you won’t tell your brother about this. I would like to see you again.”

           She looked uncertain for a moment but soon gave a firm nod. “I promise Iceland.” Dropping the formalities had become more common as they talked through the night and Iceland considered it a step in the right direction.

           He nodded, wished her good night and left the house as silently as possible. No, the kiss had not been anything spectacular, far from it, but Iceland realized, as he made his way back home, that he would do it again in a heartbeat.


	5. Take My Hand

**   
**

** Chapter Five:  **

                **Take My Hand**

 

                As memories of the previous settled in her mind, Liechtenstein wasn’t quite sure what to make of them. Was she happy? Iceland was a very sweet boy and that kiss… Well she wasn’t sure how to describe it, but it had certainly been nice. The more she thought about it the more her lips tingled and the more certain she became that she would not mind another. It had been her first and something told her that it had been Iceland’s as well. The way their lips had met in such a nervous but gentle fashion had a warmth flooding through Liechtenstein that she never wanted to go away.

                Making her away around the house, keeping herself busy with some light dusting, Liechtenstein hummed a little tune as she wondered what this meant for her and Iceland. One thing was for sure, she definitely wanted to see him again. Tell him how nice last night had been, despite the oddity of it. Still, her brother gave her pause. She knew that he would not be very happy if he found that Iceland’s charms were actually working and she was actually falling for the older boy.

                She could understand Switzerland’s worries. Iceland was such an isolated country compared to most of Europe, and being an island was much different being land locked. Still, it hurt that she had to either hide or chose. She was sure Switzerland would come around in time, all he wanted was her happiness and safety after all. Never before did she realize that eventually she was going have to choose one over the other, there was no way Switzerland would see a possibility for both.

                “I finished dusting Big Brother. I’m going to go meet up with some friends if that’s alright,” she said, a little nervously.

                Switzerland looked up from his book with a cynical frown before sighing. “Alright, don’t be too long,” he said.

                If she was being honest, Liechtenstein had not expected Switzerland to let her go so easily. Of course she was allowed out on her own and she often went out to visit Ms. Hungary or Ms. Ukraine or any of her numerous friends, but it shocked her that her brother didn’t even question who she was visiting.

                She smiled at her brother and nodded. “I’ll make sure I’m back in time for dinner!” she said happily. Putting the duster away, she patted her dress clean, kissed her brother on the cheek and headed out.

~~~

                Liechtenstein had never been to Iceland’s house before but it was easy to find. She stood outside the building nervously. From the outside it wasn’t very big, but it was very homey looking.

                Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door, hoping the sound was loud enough as she stepped back and waited for an answer.

                It took a little while to come but just as soon as Iceland was beginning to think that maybe she try again, a little louder this time, the door opened.

                “Oh, hello mr. Denmark,” she said, a little surprised that it wasn’t Iceland that had opened the door. She may not have known the Nordic country personally, but he was easy to recognize.

                “Liechtenstein?” Denmark seemed just as shocked himself to see her on the door step but soon an energized grinned spread across his face as he stepped aside to let her in. “Come in!” he urged.

                As the young girl did so, the Dane’s smile swiftly turned to more of a smirk.

                “Hey Icey! Your girlfriend is here!” he called down the hall.

                Liechtenstein’s eyes widened and she gasped lightly. Even without a mirror she knew for certain that her face was now a bright shade of pink. Is that what they were, is that what Iceland told people? What if Switzerland heard? Something like this could spread--.

                “Den! I told you not to call her that!” Iceland’s voice cut off Liechtenstein’s train of frantic thought.

                As he finished the chastising statement, Iceland rounded the corner with calm but hurried footsteps. He slowed slightly when he saw Liechtenstein, giving a small smile. It was clear that his face was close to the same shade as hers.

                “Sorry about Denmark,” he said, his tone a little annoyed as he came to a stop in front of her.

                “It’s quite alright,” she said, but her voice came out much meeker than she intended.

                “Do you want to go to my room? These guys can be a bother,” he said, casting a glare in Denmark’s direction.

                Denmark chuckled and headed to the kitchen where he could be heard talking in hushed tones to somebody, most likely one of the other three Nordics.

                “That would be fine,” Liechtenstein, giving him a comforting smile.

                Iceland seemed to relax a little with Denmark gone and without thinking, took the girl’s hand and led her down the hall.

                Liechtenstein blushed lightly at the contact and wrapped her fingers lightly around his.

               Once they were in his room, Iceland dropped her hand and closed his door behind them. The room was rather bare, a book shelf, a dresser, a closet, a nightstand next to the bed and a desk that was stacked with books and notebooks and writing utensils as well as a computer. He sighed and turned to her.

                “I’m sorry, if I had known you were coming I would have tried harder to send them away,” he said.

                “Oh, should I have come at a better time?” Liechtenstein asked nervously.

                Iceland’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “No, you’re fine,” he said.

                She nodded, taking a seat on the edge of his bed, it was strange how natural it was to do so.

                “I actually wanted to talk to you if that’s alright,” she said as he joined her.

                He frowned, obviously a little worried. She could only imagine what was going through his head.

                “About what?” he asked, his voice soft, nervous.

                “About last night.”

                He visibly tensed, and Liechtenstein quickly moved on before he could work his nervous up too much and before she could back out because of her own.

                “It was nice!” The words came out in a rush and she quickly let out the pent up breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “That’s… that’s all I wanted to say. It was nice and… and I would like to do it again sometime if that’s alright with you.” She looked at him nervously, hoping that after all his efforts in pursuing her, he hadn’t suddenly changed his mind and decided to give up.

                He let out a slow breath and a small smile spread across his face. “I would really like that Liechtenstein. “

                She smiled and leaned in for a kiss but at the last minute changed her mind and placed her lips to his cheek instead.

                Iceland seemed a little shocked by this, but blushed lightly all the same.

                “What about your brother?”

                She frowned. “That was another thing,” she said softly. “While I return your feelings, my brother is unaware of this. I don’t know if we should tell him yet. I think he has to get to know you first. If he knew you could keep me safe he would be okay with you. He just worries about me is all.”

                “Well he’s rather stubborn about it. How can we convince him, Liechtenstein? You know him better than anybody else.” Iceland took both her hands into his gently, his eyes pleading slightly.

                  
                “I… I don’t know,” Liechtenstein answered with a small frown.

                “We can’t keep it a secret for forever. I won’t make you chose, but I know that you care very deeply about Switzerland and lying to him might be hard on you.”

                She blinked, looking down at their hands, she had only known him a short time, but Iceland seemed to know her so well.

                “I’ll figure it out,” she said with fresh determination.

                He nodded, relaxing a little. “Can you stay?” he asked.

                “Only for a little bit, I have to be back by dinner,” she answered.

                Iceland nodded and moved a hand to her shoulder, pulling her close. Liechtenstein moved in until their lips touched, her fingers lacing through his.

Yes, she would figure it out. There had to be a way that all three of them could be happy and she could feel a new determination build with every moment the kiss went on. If there was a happy ending to a situation like this, she would find it.


	6. We're Leaving Here Tonight

** Chapter Six **

** We’re leaving here tonight**

****

It was late when Iceland tiptoed downstairs. Norway had spent the night and Iceland was forced to lay awake in bed and wait for him to fall asleep before slipping out from under the covers and sneaking downstairs.

Stepping down onto the bottom landing, Iceland freezes, caught by surprise by the unexpected light streaming from the kitchen. He thought for a moment before concluding that, yes, he had turned it off before going to bed.

Inching closer to the doorway, he knew that unless his house had been broken into, there was only one person that could have turned on the light.

Rounding the corner, he was proven correct in his suspicions and sighed as he found Norway sitting at the small table, sipping from a steaming drink while flipping through a book idly.

“I thought you were asleep,” Iceland said from the doorway. Only after he said it did he realize how stupid it sounded, but still the mild embarrassment he felt did not show on his face.

Norway shrugged. “Where are you running off to so late?” he asked, finally looking up from his book.   

Mild annoyance flitted across Iceland’s features as he frowned. “You’re not my mother, I don’t have to tell you,” he grumbled. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

“And I’m not stupid, Ice,” Norway replied calmly. “I know you’re going to see her. It’s rather obvious actually.”

Iceland wasn’t about to argue, there was no point and he was wasting time as it was, standing around talking like this.

When Iceland didn’t respond, Norway sighed.

“I know you’re going to see her again,” he repeated in his usual calm manner. “I frankly don’t care all that much about what you do in the odd hours of the night, but as your brother, I do worry about you.”

“Everything is fine,” Iceland countered, feeling the need to defend his actions as his annoyance grew.

Norway didn’t seem to notice as he took a drink from his steaming cup. “Switzerland is not one to be messing with, especially when it comes to his sister.”

“I am aware.”

“I’m serious Ice, what are you going to do when he finds out? You can’t keep going behind his back like this.”

“I’m working on it,” Iceland replied with a frown.

“Are you?” Norway pressed.

Iceland scowled lightly. “He’s just not ready yet.”

“He’s not, or you’re not?” Norway asked.

“Just shut up, I’m leaving,” Iceland snapped, only mildly surprised when Noway didn’t make any more to stop or chase after him.

Feeling annoyed and frustrated by the conversation, Iceland tugged on his jacket and stepped out into the night. He thought over his brother’s most recent words and only felt more bothered as he realized that he didn’t really have an answer.

 

~~~

 

By the time Iceland reached Liechtenstein’s house, he was feeling much calmer. Knowing exactly which window belonged to the young female this time, he grabbed up a small handful of pebbles and started to throw them just as before. Really though, there had to be a better way of going about this.

It only took a couple pings against the glass before the window opened and Liechtenstein was leaning out over the sill.

“Iceland?” she called in a whisper.

“It’s me,” Iceland called back.

She nodded, her short hair bobbing around her chin. “Meet me by the front door.”

She didn’t wait for a response as she slid her window shut again and disappeared.

Iceland rushed around to the front of the house, reaching the front door just as it opened.

Liechtenstein greeted the older boy with a sleepy smile. She rubbed her eyes as she invited him inside.

“Actually,” he said, his hesitation causing her to look at him curiously. “I was hoping you might want to go somewhere with me.”

Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at him uncertainly.

“Where?” she asked.

                “It’s a surprise,” he replied.

                She glanced back into the house and he pressed a little more.

                “I promise to be back before he wakes up.”

                The young woman let out a soft sigh and nodded. “Alright, I’ll go with you,” she said, stepping inside to grab her coat and slip on her shoes.

Iceland waited patiently before offering his hand, smiling as she gently took it with no hesitation.

Shutting the door quietly behind them, Iceland led Liechtenstein around to the back of the house and back in the direction he had originally come.

Glancing back at the girl, Iceland hoped she couldn’t tell how nervous he was. He was happy that his palms weren’t sweating, but his skin tingled with nerves and his heart pounded loud enough, he was sure she could hear. He had no idea what he was doing, taking her somewhere was an idea off the top of his head, a spur of the moment thing. All he knew was that he was more comfortable out of the house, where they didn’t risk Switzerland waking and finding them. Only now was it occurring to him that it was probably more dangerous to have him wake and find them not there at all.

The further they walked, the more Iceland realized how stupid this idea really was. Not only did he not know where he was going, but he was taking her to a supposedly ‘secret’ place in her own country. Embarrassment overwhelmed him and his steps came to a halt.

Liechtenstein came to a stop beside him, a slightly confused look on her face.

“Iceland?”

He shook his head, his face as stoic as ever, failing to obviously reveal any of the emotions stirring inside him.

“Sorry,” he said. “This way.” He tugged her to the right with a small smile that was barely noticeable. He was certain there was something in this direction, he remembered passing a field on his way over.

It only took a few moments to find and he could hear Norway’s voice reprimanding him the whole way. A sense of relief washed over Iceland and leading Liechtenstein to a small hill, he sat down on the chilled, damp grass. She followed suit a moment later, dropping his hand.

“It’s a clear night, I thought it would be nice to come look at the stars,” he said, feeling the need to provide some sort of explanation as he tilted his head back to look at the pinpoints of light that dusted the sky.

It wasn’t the best excuse, but she seemed to be okay with it, looking up at the sky as well with a slight look of wonder.

“It’s beautiful,” she said in a whisper, as if afraid her voice would scare the stars away and cause them to scatter to the edges of the horizon.

“I agree,” he said, just as softly.

They sat in silence for a while, both comfortable with the quiet until Liechtenstein finally broke it.

“Brother has been acting strangely lately,” she said casually, but there was a touch of worry to her tone.

“Strange how?” Iceland prompted.

“He’s been very distracted it seems. I think it’s because Mr. Austria has been coming over more.”

“Austria?” As far as he knew, the two countries didn’t get along very well, so it came as sort of a shock to hear they Austria had been visiting.

She nodded. “He came over for dinner last night, it was quite strange.”

“Strange?” Iceland, once again, answered with a one word question.

She nodded again, her eyes staying on the sky. “Usually, when Austria visits, Switzy gets very tense and agitated, but last night he just seemed… odd.” She was having trouble finding another word to describe the strange feeling she was getting from her brother the night before. He and Austria had barely made any eye contact through the whole meal.

“I think Mr. Austria likes Brother,” she said.

Iceland blinked, that was not what he had expected to hear.     

“What makes you say that?” he asked, genuinely curious.

She was quiet for a moment and Iceland looked over to see her in distant thought.

“Well, a long time ago they used to get along much better, Big Brother was always helping Mr. Austria and trying to teach him how to fight. Now they don’t seem like they get along as well, but recently Mr. Austria has been visiting a lot more and seems happy to be spending time with Brother. And he’s been bringing over gifts. Even though he won’t admit it, Brother keeps all of them. I think he likes Mr. Austria back, they just won’t admit it to each other. Ms. Hungary would call it womanly instinct,” she answered.

Iceland listened, his gaze drifting back to the sky. “Do you think something will come of it?”

She hummed lightly. “I don’t know, but I think it would be nice if something did. I think Brother can get kind of lonely sometimes.”

Iceland nodded, he could understand that.

“He doesn’t like me,” Iceland said after a moment of silence. He said it casually, as a statement of fact.

“He just worries about me is all, he’s very protective and wants me to always be safe,” she countered.

“I know, but I just wish he wouldn’t underestimate me so much,” he said.

Liechtenstein frowned. “I trust you, Iceland,” she said. It may have seemed like such a random statement, but at the moment, it was what Iceland needed to hear.

“We need to tell him soon. That we’re… interested in each other,” he said softly, avoiding looking at her. He could say they were dating, he didn’t feel that they were quite to that point yet.

“Well, he knows that already,” Liechtenstein answered.

“Yes, well, that we’re pursuing that interest,” he said.

“Oh, yes.” She blushed lightly, a little embarrassed that she hadn’t caught on, blaming it on it being late and the fact that she was tired.

“Do you think he’ll be angry?” Iceland asked.

She frowned. “Maybe, but he doesn’t like to make me unhappy, so I don’t think he’ll do anything…” She sounded like she wanted to be confident in her words, but there was still a hint of uncertainty there.

“I make you happy?” he asked, finally turning to look at her. He hadn’t mean for the question to sound so shocked.

Liechtenstein nodded with a small smile. “Yes, you do Iceland,” she answered.

A small smile touched Iceland’s lips and without another word their fingers intertwined and they looked back up to the canopy of stars.

Iceland wasn’t sure how long the peace lasted and he was far from ready or willing to let it end, but he knew they had to get back before Switzerland realized they were gone. That, and Liechtenstein had dozed off on his shoulder.

“We should head back,” he said gently, careful not to startle her.

She hummed questioningly and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

Iceland stood and offered a hand. She took it and he helped her up, keeping a hold of the hand even as they started back to her house.

Despite needing to get back, they took their time, hands clasped as they walked.

When they finally reached the house, Liechtenstein turned around with a small smile, her hand on the door handle.

“I really enjoyed tonight, thank you,” she said softly, leaning forward and placing a kiss to Iceland’s cheek.

He blushed ever so slightly and smiled. “Of course, good night, Liechtenstein,” he said in the same soft tone, giving her hand a light squeeze he leaned forward and placed his own kiss to her night-chilled cheek.

The smile she gave him in return was genuine and gentle and the memory of it was enough to keep him warm all the way home.


End file.
